Two teachers appear in court for deceit of public officer
A teacher who presented fictitious documents to an insurance company to claim benefits of a surviving spouse on Monday appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.
With Daniel Akorful in the dock are Adams Romulus Kingsley Aidoo, also a teacher who posed as father of the deceased and Imman Mohammed Acquah, a cocoa purchasing clerk who claimed to have performed the Muslim rites before burial of the deceased.
Charged with conspiracy and deceit of public officer, the accused persons pleaded guilty and were convicted on various fines by the court presided over by Ms Audrey Kocuvie-Tey.
Akorful was sentenced to GHc1,800 fine or in default serve 18 months imprisonment, while Aidoo, and Acquah, were each fined GHc2,400 or in default serve 24 months imprisonment each.
Police Chief Inspector Charles Chester, prosecuting said the complainant was investigator of Star Life Assurance Company Limited, where Akorful had a policy.
He said on August 5, this year, Akorful informed management of the company that his wife, Comfort Bentum covered under the policy had died, and had raised GH¢2,500 cedis for the management to refund.
Chief Inspector Chester said Akorful managed to convince the medical Officer at Swedru Government Hospital to issue him with a death certificate on his wife.
Akorful then presented the certificate to the management that initiated investigations into Akorful’s claim.
In addition, Akorful presented Aidoo and Acquah as witnesses to his wife’s death claim.
The prosecutor said Aidoo claimed he was the father-in-law of Akorful and Acquah posed as the one who performed the Muslem rites before her burial.
He said officials of the company went to Agona Abodom where Akorful lived and Swedru Government Hospital and realised that Akorful’s wife was alive, subsequently the three accused persons were apprehended and handed over to the Police.
In another development, the court fined Edward Bruce Sarpong, a teacher GH¢2,400 for a similar offence.
Sarpong who pleaded guilty to deceit of public officer, would in default serve 24 months imprisonment.
His accomplice, Frank Owusu a registrar at birth and death registry at Asamankese however pleaded not guilty to abetment of crime.
Owusu was granted GH¢20,000 bail with two sureties to re-appear on October 10.
Chief Inspector Chester said the complainant was the investigator of Star Assurance Company Limited while Sarpong teaches at Roman Catholic ‘B’
Junior High School, Asamankese.
He said Sarpong also undertook a funeral policy which management was paying GH¢8.20 monthly.
Chief Inspector Chester said after Sarpong had contributed to the policy for four months, applied for death claims in respect of his wife Sabina Debrah.
The prosecutor said Sarpong managed to provide his wife’s folder from Asamankese Government Hospital as well as a death certificate.
Chief Inspector Chester said in the hospital folder there were no entries indicating that Sarpong’s wife was dead but birth and death registry records indicated that Sarpong’s wife was dead and it was Owusu who issued the death certificate.
When the management went to ascertain the truth at Sarpong’s home, it realised that his wife was alive.
Source: GNA